As Regulus and his friends excited the great hall the so-called "marauders" entered. Sirius pointedly glared at him before muttering under his breath
"Fucking traitor".
Pursing his lips Regulus steeled his gaze and looked forward, continuing to stroll out.
"Excuse what did you say?" Barty stopped and scowled hotly at him.
Barty and his stupidly loud mouth yet stupidly loyal self.
"Nothing! It's nothing",
James began trying to pull his group away. It had been less than 5 seconds before tension was running high. Sirius had also turned to face the group and started to size Barty up. The two of them were like dogs circling each other except it was more of a stare-down, At this point, many of the remaining people in the great hall hurried and finished their food before squeezing past the clashing groups to hurry away from whatever might happen next.
"No. Shut it Potter I wasn't asking you," Barty snapped at him "I'm asking Sirius Black
here about what he said."
Not taking his best mate being talked to like that Sirius brashly shoved Barty back.
"Don't talk to James like that. And I said what I said. Do you need me to spell it out for you? I thought you were smart since you’re in Ravenclaw,"
Sirius had started ranting as he inched toward the opposing group
"I called regulus here a bloody traitor because that's what he is. He stayed when he knew what went on in that house. He stood by and watched as I got hexed, beat, cursed. He did nothing. Even after I took so many of his punishments, he was always mother's stupid perfect child. Yet I still asked, begged him to come with me. But he'd rather stay with those two assholes who fucking ruined us. He-"
"Shut up!"
Regulus snapped, pulling both sides' attention to him and out of Sirius's rant.
He looked to be on the verge of tears, a muscle at the corner of his mouth twitched down. He looked conflicted with emotions, tiredness, longing, hurt, anger, before schooling his emotions. Sighing, he pinched the bridge of his nose before sharply exhaling
"look I can't do this today. Barty thank you for standing up for me but I can handle myself and Sirius since you think of me like that let's just go our separate ways. I stay out of your life you stay out of mine."
Scoffing Sirius crossed his arms, the rest of the group looked uncomfortable and ready to leave while Regulus's group looked concerned for their friend and on the verge of punching Sirius in the face.
"You've always been such a coward reg"
It was like something snapped. Blood pumped in his ears and his face twisted into anger or frustration, he couldn't tell himself. Before he knew it regulus decked Sirius in the face, pain bloomed across his hand. Stumbling back Sirius crashed into his friends as they supported him and pulled out their wands but Regulus was already cursing and spitting at him
"I'm the coward??? I wasn't the one who ran away. I wasn't the one who left his brother. Do you think I want to stay??? You never thought about anyone but yourself. What did you think happened when you weren't home and you got sorted into bloody Gryffindor. Who had to take your fall??? You are such a child, Siri. I never asked you to take my punishments. I never asked. Did you know whatever you did in your first year fell back on me? Do you know the number of slaps, beating, hexes I took because of you and knowing if only you behaved I wouldn't have to go through this? I hid this from you because you would blame yourself. Because you would end up thinking that if only you had protected me if only you hadn't acted out. I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to worry. I wanted you to be happy. Did you even think what would happen if we both ran away??? If we both left they would have hunted us both down. You can run away because they still have me. They had a spare. But if I had left they would have had to come for the both of us. I did it for you. No matter what I did it for you. What did you think happened when you left? Who was left for mother to take her anger out on, but me,"
By the end of Regulus' rant, tears streamed from his face. He was on the verge of a breakdown, he could hardly breathe it felt like the world was caving in on him, he needed to leave. Swallowing thickly he barely choked out
"One of us rebelled for freedom. The other adapted to survive. We both just wanted love and you got it."
With that regulus stormed off leaving Sirius nursing his bruising cheek.
"I need to think," he said as he brushed off the hands of his worried friends.
As both brothers returned to their dorms they both cried for their brother.